Accept the updated privacy & cookie policy

The TimesofIndia.com Privacy Policy and Cookie Settings has been updated to align with the new data regulations in European Union. Please review and accept these changes below to continue using the website. We use cookies to ensure the best experience for you on our website.

Viral load testing to treat people living with HIV soon

(PLHIV) who are taking daily antiretroviral (ARV) drugs from 24 centres in the state, will get the facilities for viral load testing in the state soon, as National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has set up viral load testing machines in three hospitals attached to government-run medical colleges.

The machines have been installed in Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh medical college and hospital,

Udaipur

’s RNT medical college and hospital and

Jodhpur

’s SN medical college and hospital. But, it is expected to become functional from July as NACO is yet to send testing kits. Each machine costs approximately Rs1 crore.

State AIDS Control Society (RSACS) officials, the new machines will help doctors in deciding the line of treatment for PLHIVs. “Earlier, we were sending blood samples for viral load testing to a private laboratory in Mumbai as NACO has an MoU with them. But, it has a limitation. We are allowed to get 20 samples tested in one week but we have 41,000 patients who are on ART (antiretroviral therapy),” said an RSACS official.

He said that with new machines have been installed in the state, the test will be done here which will benefit all PLHIVs on ARTs.

Earlier, doctors were providing the treatment on the basis of a test, knowing as cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) cells. The test provides details to the doctors that how much cells which contributes to immunity fighting against opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis. “CD4 cells are sometimes called T-helper cells which are essential part of the human immune system. The HIV is the virus which destroy T-helper cells (CD4 cells). At present we have facilities for CD4 at all 24 ART centres across the state through which we provide treatment to PLHIVs on the basis of number of CD4 cells,” said the official adding that viral load testing and CD4 test are completely different.

“CD4 helps in ascertaining immunity system’s conditions, but viral load testing helps in ascertaining the number of viruses (HIV) in the blood. Viral load testing is helpful in treatment as it helps doctors in monitoring the number of viruses (HIV) and also deciding the line of treatment,” he said.

“We have three lines of treatment in ART centres. We give first line of ART to PLHIVs until it keeps increasing the number of CD4 cells. When first line of ART fails to increase CD4 cells, we give second line of ART and when second line of ART fails to increase number of CD4, we give them third line of ART. Through CD4 we cannot monitor viral load, if viruses are increasing in veins. For that purpose, we require viral load testing facility. Now we are strengthening viral load testing facility in the state with three machines, which will also decide line of treatment (ART),” said the official.

The officials said that ART is not a cure but through ART, the lifespan of PLHIV can be increased, which depends on the health conditions of the PLHIVs.